A Vietnamese-French director, now 95, whose 61-year-old historical film on Vietnam was warmly embraced at France’s largest-ever Vietnamese film program, held in late June, is elated over the unexpected success of his film.
Director Pham Van Nhan’s historical film, “Hai The Gioi” (Two Worlds), which was filmed in France in 1953, was enthusiastically received by audience members at “Panorama du Cinéma Vietnamien” (Panorama of Vietnamese Cinema).
The program, the largest-ever Vietnamese film festival in the European country, was organized by Paris-based Cinémathèque Française, which boasts one of the world’s largest archives of film, movie documents, and film-related objects.
The event was part of the “Vietnam Year in France,” which celebrated 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The program, aimed at promoting Vietnamese films over the course of time and their directors’ perspectives, showcased 31 Vietnamese feature films and documentaries, as well as five foreign-made flicks.
It offered intriguing glimpses into generations of Vietnamese directors, ranging from veteran directors and classic movies such as “Chom va Sa” (Chom and Sa) of Pham Ky Nam, Nhan’s nephew; Nguyen Hong Sen’s “Canh Dong Hoang” (The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone); and Pham Van Khoa’s “Chi Dau” (Ms. Dau); to younger talents such as Vu Ngoc Dang’s gay-themed feature, “Hot Boy Noi Loan (Lost in Paradise); and Nguyen Thi Tham’s documentary “Chuyen Di Cuoi Cung Cua Chi Phung” (The Last Journey of Madam Phung).
Nhan’s “Hai The Gioi” packed the screening hall with almost 200 people during the FIFA World Cup 2014 in late June.
Few expected that Nhan, who was not a professional director and worked as an assistant for French writer and film director Léo Joannon (1904-1969) for a few years, could produce such a fabulous film.
His flick has a melancholy tone, but is brightened by the director’s sense of humor.
Nhan made the most of close-up shots of images which he thought would intrigue audiences, such as an automatic garbage van. It took several days of lying in wait to get the best shots.
The feature film, which portrays life in an in-patient hospital and depicts a disease common among the destitute back then, also has the touch of a documentary.
The film was a resounding box office success when it was screened in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) in 1954.
Nhan also recorded historically important footage of Vietnam’s late President Ho Chi Minh during his official trip to France in 1946.
The Vietnamese-French director was also the first Vietnamese to make features after Vietnam regained its independence.
Along with “Hai The Gioi,” three other Nhan films, “Trang Nhat Ky” (The Diary Pages), “Gia Hanh Phuc (The Price of Happiness), and “Vi Dau Nen Noi” (Why That Serious), are being preserved by Cinémathèque Française.
The 95-year-old director now cares for ornamental plants around his house in southern France and rides a home-made solar-energy bike to the beach every day.
Whenever he gets sick, Nhan, who lives alone, adamantly refuses to be hospitalized, and dons his best outfits, ready for a journey to Heaven.
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Festival celebrates 61-year-old film of nonagenarian Vietnamese-French director Releated Image(s)
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